UAE. Held under the patronage of His Excellency Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, UAE Minister of State for Tolerance, The University of Manchester has held its 2017 MBA graduation ceremony for Middle East students of the University’s business school, hosted at the Jumeirah Emirates Towers Hotel in Dubai.

A total of 65 students were awarded the Manchester MBA degree at the only graduation conducted by the University outside the UK, watched by family and friends. This is the fifth graduation ceremony hosted in Dubai.

The Presiding Officer at the graduation ceremony was the Head of Alliance Manchester Business School, part of The University of Manchester, and the ceremony was conducted in the presence of Dr. Abdulla Al Karam, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Director General of the Knowledge & Human Development Authority (KHDA), who also addressed the congregation.

A total of 65 graduates were awarded the University of Manchester MBA degree at the ceremony, which was attended by family members, VIP guests, current students and alumni of The University of Manchester in the Middle East. Of the 65 students, 9 graduated with Merit, and 42 with Distinction.

The graduating class students reside in 10 countries and are of 27 nationalities; around two-thirds of the graduates reside in the UAE. Best individual female (business and professional women represented around 20% of the class) and male students, and best group project awards for the Middle East were presented as part of the ceremony.

The University of Manchester opened its Middle East Centre at Dubai Knowledge Park in 2006 and, today, is the largest and fastest growing of the University’s network of six centres around the world. The Middle East Centre has supported almost 2,200 part-time MBA students in the region, and graduated more than 1,200.

Randa Bessiso, Middle East Director of The University of Manchester, commented: “The quality of our students in the Middle East has been a consistent factor since we opened our centre in Dubai 11 years ago and this is reflected strongly in our Manchester MBA class of 2017. This class performed exceptionally well with a very high percentage of distinction and merit awards.

"Our success with the MBA in the Middle East has encouraged the University to introduce new programmes and learning formats to the region, broadening access and creating opportunities for more working professionals to experience world class business education. We thank all our supporters and students, and we are especially honoured that His Excellency Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan generously granted his inspiring patronage to this occasion once again,” she added.

In the Middle East, The University of Manchester offers the two-year Manchester Global Part-time MBA programme for experienced working professionals, new industry-led business Masters degrees, and a growing portfolio of executive education short courses.

About The University of Manchester Middle East CentreThe University of Manchester Middle East Centre at Dubai Knowledge Park opened in 2006 and is the largest and fastest growing in the university’s international network comprising six hubs in the key business cities around the world. The Centre has supported more than 2,000 Manchester Global Part-time MBA students in the region, and graduated more than 1,000 MBA students.

The Middle East Centre has recently launched a new portfolio of executive education programmes and is introducing a series of new, industry-led specialist Masters programmes in 2017; the first of these include the MSc Reliability Engineering and Asset Management, MSc International Healthcare Leadership, and MSc Occupational Medicine. The Centre works in regional collaborations with a range of industry groups, professional bodies and companies, and supports a regional alumni association with more than 2,500 members.

About The University of ManchesterThe University of Manchester is currently delivering a £1 billion 10-year masterplan for its campus to create world-class facilities for staff, students and visitors. This includes the redevelopment of the Alliance Manchester Business School, the £350m Manchester Engineering Campus Development and the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre (GEIC). Completed projects so far include the award-winning National Graphene Institute and The Whitworth Art Gallery.

Issued on behalf of The University of Manchester Middle East Centre by WPR.

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